Smart Grid, Renewable Energy, Among CEA’s Top Lobbying Issues in Q4

CEA lobbied on a host of energy and environmental issues as Congress wound down last year, the group’s Q4 lobbying report with Congress shows. The report “reflects the priorities of the CEA on environmental and other issues,” said Walter Alcorn, vice president of environmental affairs. “Those priorities have remained pretty consistent.” Meanwhile, smart grid and renewable energy issues have became a lobbying focus for many companies and industry groups in the quarter, reports show.

Electronics recycling, energy efficiency, e-waste export restrictions, Energy Star, appliance energy standards and clean energy were among issues on which CEA lobbied in the quarter. One of the things that CEA has been “constantly” seeking is “ways to advance” the long-term goal of a “harmonized, national approach” to e-waste issues, Alcorn said. It has also been tracking efforts in Congress to restrict the export to developing countries of hazardous e-waste, he said. Alcorn said it’s “too early” in the current session to list specific issues on which CEA would be lobbying.

"We don’t have anything right now in terms of specific legislation [but] in terms of our policy priorities, they have been pretty consistent,” he said. Rep. Gene Green, D-Texas, has said he would reintroduce an e-waste export control bill that he introduced late last year after making some refinements in consultation with affected parties. CEA had some “questions about how the bill would be implemented by the EPA and those questions still exist,” said Alcorn, when asked whether Green had approached his group. “We would welcome a meeting or any sort of analysis by EPA to shed light on how this would be implemented,” he said.

The Information Technology Industry Council’s lobbying issues included clean energy, Energy Star and e-waste. The e-waste export control bill (HR-6252) and its possible effects on “legitimate recycling of electronic devices” were among the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries’ lobbying interests. The group, representing recyclers, also sought to influence federal policy on the applicability of the Toxic Substances Control Act on recycling residues, the “definition of solid waste and its inappropriate application to certain recyclable and recycled materials” and the EPA’s regulations regarding the recovery of chlorofluorocarbons from discarded white goods.

Smart grid and renewable energy were lobbying issues for the CTIA, Google, Verizon and Sony, their reports show. CTIA also lobbied on the export control bill and the Electronic Waste Research and Development Act (HR-1580). Sony’s other Q4 environmental issues were electronics recycling and energy efficiency standards for consumer electronics. Panasonic lobbied on appliance energy standards, “one-watt” standby power, EPA’s proposed “Super Star” program, greenhouse gas emission standards, carbon offsets and “cap and trade,” according to its report. Dell’s main environmental issues were e-waste export controls and funding of e-waste research. In addition to the export control bill, Samsung lobbied on electronics recycling “certification” and Energy Star, while Mitsubishi focused on test procedure standards and certification for heating and cooling products. AT&T’s chief environmental issue for the quarter was the Energy Star program for “customer premises equipment."

Greenpeace sought to get legislation to “phase out persistent toxic chemicals” used in computers, cellphones, TVs and other electronics, its filing shows. The group also wanted measures to deal with lead, phthalates and other toxins in toys.